The College of Islamic Studies and College of Science and Engineering offer unprecedented academic degrees.

In an expansion that reflects Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) growth as a higher learning institution and bolsters its position as a leading destination for postgraduate education in Qatar and the region, the University today announced the launch of six new academic degrees, including both master’s and doctoral programs. The official announcement was made by Dr. Ahmad M. Hasnah, president of HBKU; Dr. Emad El-Din Shahin, dean of the College of Islamic Studies; and Dr. Mounir Hamdi, dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Education City. Applications are now open to all of the new programs.

CIS’s three new programs bear significance for the advancement of Islamic scholarship in academic areas concerning humanities, global affairs, and finance. The new degrees, which will be offered as of September 2018, include a Master of Science in Islamic Art, Architecture and Urbanism; a Master of Arts in Islam and Global Affairs; and a PhD in Islamic Finance and Economy. Similarly, CSE’s progressive academic programs are unique offerings and aim to encourage knowledge-sharing in areas that carry transformative potential for the management capabilities of analysts and specialists involved in healthcare sectors and supply chain networks. These include a Master of Data Analytics in Health Management; a Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management; and a PhD in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

HBKU’s two colleges have led the curricular development of their new degrees through a unique approach that ensures all students are equipped with relevant skillsets in their study areas. Dr. Ahmad M. Hasnah, president of HBKU, said: “HBKU CSE’s and CIS’ newest programs embody the University’s foundational pillars of innovation and excellence. All programs at HBKU are designed to align with the strategic and developmental needs of Qatar, the region, and the beyond. Drawing on unprecedented curricula and the collective expertise of the University’s world-class faculty, the programs can often be classified as the first of their kind in the region and the world.

Through their multidisciplinary approach, the new programs are means for supporting key industries in Qatar and the region. They also seek to address critical market challenges and visualize current and future market trends, with the aim of propelling Qatar’s economy and producing graduates who show great promise.”

With its three newest degrees – each respectively delving on global affairs, finance, and design from Islamic perspectives – CIS’s new offerings allow students to pursue a higher education in a wide range of subjects that hold relevance for Muslim communities around the globe.

Dr. Shahin described the new programs as part of the college’s mission to drive an Islamic educational renaissance. He said, “History records Muslim scholars and educationalists as frontrunners of groundbreaking discoveries in arts, architecture, medicine, sciences, philosophy, and literature. At CIS, we are committed to modernizing Islamic higher education so that it may once again occupy a central position of relevance locally, regionally, and internationally.

“We hope that our three newest degrees will contribute significantly to reviving that culture of academic innovation in the Muslim world, which will find its epicenter in Qatar.”

The Master of Arts in Islam and Global Affairs is a unique program that provides students with an opportunity to analyze the position of Islam in the context of world affairs. Students of the program will analyze how Islam promotes a concern for human well-being and dignity on a global level. This master’s program furthers students’ understanding of Islam’s role in various areas of global affairs, including peace-building, development and human security, international organizations, diplomacy, conflict, governance and institutional reform, sustainability, global health, and related areas. Given their ability to understand and analyze the dramatic ongoing changes affecting Muslim societies, graduates of this program will be able to offer practical solutions to governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as private local and international organizations on navigating a growingly complex set of social, cultural and economic challenges.

The Master of Science in Islamic Art, Architecture and Urbanism program is also unique in focus, structure, and content with no similar program being offered in Qatar, region or the Islamic world. The program focuses on art history, architecture and urbanism in the Islamic world. It is comprehensive in nature as it integrates an all-encompassing approach to the understanding of the built environment and culture of Muslim communities and encourages research towards safeguarding Islamic cultural heritage by examining the contextual history of Islamic art, architecture, and urbanism. Graduates of this program will be able to pursue careers in Islamic art history, contemporary mosque architecture, and sustainable urbanism fields.

Lastly, the PhD in Islamic Finance and Economy is an innovative multidisciplinary program that provides students with the required analytical and research skills to understand, analyze and interpret the workings of the rapidly growing Islamic financial services and markets and to tackle its emerging challenges and opportunities. The program is centered on national priorities as set out in the Qatar National Vision 2030, local aspirations as enshrined in the objectives of Shariah, and global targets such as UN sustainable development goals. A testament to the doctoral program’s academic importance is the fact that international institutions are increasingly recognizing the policy relevance of Islamic finance. Graduates will be able to work in academia, as well as in wealth management and advisory services in local, regional and global organizations.

Open to the public, CIS will host their community information session for prospective students on Tuesday, May 8, at 6:30 pm in the CIS Auditorium.

For his part, Dr. Hamdi described his college’s new programs as cornerstones to developing needed skillsets within the local pool of talent in Qatar. “As Qatar develops its medical facilities in what is today the region’s biggest health care expansion project, the need for highly-trained data analytics specialists continues to grow manifold. Our master’s program in data analytics in health management sector is a direct complement to Qatar’s projected needs in qualified human resources.

“Similarly, logistics and supply chain management form the core of any country’s commerce and trade industries, both those which operate within and outside its borders. As Qatar invests in strengthening its existing world-class land, air and seaport infrastructure to leverage greater advantage of its geostrategic position and charter new trading routes, it will need a strong local supply of professionals to help its organizations navigate the growth.”

CSE’s Master of Data Analytics in Health Management program is the very first of its kind in the world and aims to train talented scientists and researchers to effectively contribute in designing and implementing data analytic tools in healthcare systems both in Qatar and abroad. During the course of their academic journey, graduate students will undergo specialized training that will equip them to develop advanced and effective strategies and policies to enhance preventive care, reduce per capita cost of patient care, and enhance progress in diagnostics and medical research leading to the development of more efficient health care systems, as well as better management of the overall healthcare system.

CSE’s Master of Science and PhD degrees in Logistics and Supply Chain Management offer innovative multidisciplinary curricula and aim to build high quality academic and entrepreneurial capacities to support the aggressive rate of change and the challenges associated with the scaling of industrial systems. Graduates of these programs will be equipped with skillsets vastly sought after by both the private and public sectors participating in activities for economic diversification and will support Qatar’s effort in becoming a logistical hub for the region and the world.

Open to the public, CSE will host their community information session for prospective students on Wednesday, May 9, at 6:30 pm at the Education City Student Center.

HBKU aims to place emphasis on developing and delivering unique interdisciplinary programs that address contemporary societal and economic concerns cutting across multiple areas of study. The newly announced programs of both colleges have been built in consultation with a cross section of experts in the fields of science, engineering, industry and economy, and theology.